Eric Knowles
British antiquarian and ceramics expert on Antiques Roadshow.
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Eric Knowles FRSA is a British antiquarian and television personality, born on 19 February 1953 in Nelson, Lancashire, England. His primary expertise lies in ceramics and glass.
Early life
Knowles was educated at Nelson Secondary Technical School. He started at Bonhams in 1976 as a porter in the ceramics department, rising to head that department by 1981. In 1992 he founded the auction house's Bristol offices.
He later moved back to London to oversee the Decorative Arts Department. July 2021 saw him become a non-executive director of scottishantiques.com, a decorative art and design business in Royal Tunbridge Wells. He stepped down in November 2023.
Television career
Knowles first came to public attention as a ceramics specialist on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow. His television credits include Going for a Song, Going, Going, Gone, Noel's House Party, Call My Bluff, and 20th Century Roadshow. During the summer of 2010, he hosted all 20 episodes of Restoration Roadshow. On Antiques Master, he served as the challenge setter and adjudicator alongside host Sandi Toksvig.
Between 2008 and 2010, he featured on Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is. Following Tim Wonnacott's departure from Bargain Hunt, Knowles stepped in as one of several guest presenters. He also co-hosted Clash of the Collectables with Alan Carter.
Personal life
Knowles is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an Ambassador for the Prince's Trust. He is associated with charities including Headway, FABLE (For a better life with epilepsy), the New Mozart Orchestra, and Wycombe Scanappeal. He has lectured at the Victoria & Albert Museum, the British Museum, and museums in Australia, Canada, the US, South Africa, France, Germany, and the Czech Republic. He was granted the Freedom of the City of London in 2000.
He is a published author on Victoriana, Royal memorabilia, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and René Lalique. He served as Sausage Ambassador for the United Kingdom in 2017. His son Seb died in a road accident in May 2015.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Eric Knowles (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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